Pig and a Jelly Jar in Salt Lake City

When I was little I was known for refusing to eat cake and ice cream if they were on the same plate together. I liked cake and I liked ice cream, just not the two foods touching and “contaminating” each other. Now that I think about it, I don’t eat cake and ice cream together to this day. So it’s surprising that I eat–let alone love–chicken and waffles together.

Despite its current popularity, the chicken and waffle phenomenon is nothing new. The sweet and savory dish dates back to the 1800s when fried chicken was a common breakfast meat. Today it’s the culinary craze for brunch. Or lunch. Or even dinner. It’s really like a catch-all dish that’s relevant at all hours of the day (and especially late night).

Chicken and waffles topped with an egg.

To satisfy that chicken and waffle craving, Pig and a Jelly Jar in Salt Lake City serves the comfort food all day. Their fried chicken is enveloped in a house seasoning before hitting the frier, plopped on a large waffle and then topped with an egg ($10, plus $2 for the egg). The combination is a sweet, savory, salty comforting mess of contrasting flavors and textures that is a fast track for a food coma. But oh is it worth it.

Oozy egg to top off an already amazing dish.

Pig and a Jelly Jar’s motto is “fresh from scratch comfort food with a twist” and even their traditional breakfast items live up to their mission statement, like Creole Pork Belly Benedict ($12), a sour dough round topped with beans, kale, pork belly and creole sauce or the Ham Hash ($10) with ham, potatoes, peppers, onion, bacon, an egg and lemon aioli.

The three egg scrambles are served with jalapeno potatoes.

The less adventurous diners (and those watching their calories) will appreciate the three egg scrambles, like the Mexican ($9) with cilantro, onions, cheddar, breakfast sausage and jalapeno cream or the Kitchen Sink ($9) with sausage, bacon, tomato, caramelized onions, peppers, kale, provolone finished with a bloody mary salsa.

Pork Belly BLT.

There’s also a range of sandwiches prominently featuring chicken (chicken sandwich, $10; buffalo chicken sliders with bacon-crusted chicken, $9) or pork (pulled pork sandwich, $10; pork belly BLT, $12). The Pork Belly BLT is packed with fried green tomatoes, leafy greens, house made pimento cheese and pork. It’s a busy sandwich with a lot battling the attention of your tastebuds, especially the pulled pork and tangy tomatoes, which I ended up taking off. The fries, however, were deliciously crispy.

They also serve salads, but even a pulled pork salad ($12) or the curried chicken salad ($10) isn’t a match for the chicken and waffles. It’s really a must-order when you’re at Pig and a Jelly Jar.

Comfort food at its finest.

It’s worth noting that Pig and a Jelly Jar has an affordable list of wine and beer, plus PBR “cocktails” to complete your meal. (Seriously, what’s brunch without a mimosa?) Their menu is served all day into the evening (Thursdays-Sundays only) to satisfy your comfort food cravings all the time.

Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my face and go find myself some chicken and waffles.

Go to Pig and a Jelly Jar for :: chicken and waffles. Don’t forget to top it with an egg. Notes :: They open early at 7:30 am every day of the week, closing at 3:30 pm Monday-Wednesday and 9 pm Thurday-Sunday.

Hi, I'm Kelli Nakagama! Welcome to Random Acts of Kelliness, a food and travel blog based in Chicago. I'm a Chicago addict, food fanatic,
opera aficionado, and whiskey enthusiast with a series case of wanderlust.